What is A Mobile Map

It wasn’t too long ago that online maps were seen as a sophisticated piece of software, with very few companies being able to produce such an application. In fact, the only businesses capable of designing such software were those that had access to not only the hardware required to piece a map together, but also a full team of geometrics engineers who could make the map usable.

Fortunately, those days are long gone and there are now many websites that offer an online map service. The reason for this is because geodata has now become more readily available, which means that companies now simply need access to individuals with the correct mapping skill set. This has meant many websites have started online map services, with Google, Map Quest and Bing being just a select few.

Of course, once technology is accessible on a desktop computer, it does not take long for this to transfer to a mobile device. For the last few years many companies, with Google again being an example, have made their software available for mobile phone users. With these applications also containing technology which allows a user’s location to be tracked, it really does mean that the possibilities are endless and users have been given a very easy way of planning routes and finding destinations.

Mobile Map Applications

With the technology for mobile maps so readily available, it will not be a surprise to hear that many companies have developed applications for this market. The market leader is Google Maps, who have used their brand power to develop a piece of software that is free to download and still possesses a large number of features. Other reputable applications in the market include:

Bing Maps
Sygic
Garmin
AmAze
NaviComputer

Mobile Map Prices

Even though the technology in mobile map applications is sophisticated, many companies do not charge a fee for downloads. This has meant that the premium mobile map industry has become extremely competitive and developers simply have to make a quality product to survive in the market. Those companies who have decided to charge for their products have opted to include several GPS navigation features which make their software more like a standalone satellite navigational device. Such companies generally charge between £10 and £80 per download, with the price altering considerably depending on the number of maps the user wishes to purchase.

Mobile Map Summary

Mobile maps have changed the whole navigational marketplace. While there was once a time where individuals would have to carry a large atlas, mobile maps allow users to receive directions in seconds while they also carry other beneficial features. What’s more, several of the premium applications have been developed with the aim of providing the user with a satellite navigational experience. This is undoubtedly a superb idea which means that mobile phone users no longer have to purchase advanced, standalone satellite navigation equipment but can now utilise simple applications on their phone.